FORT COLLINS — Let’s take a second to be honest. Not brutally. But honest. Last season, the Colorado State defense line was in shambles. Undersized and undermanned it was in such dire straits that Lanston Tanyi transferred to CSU in the summer from another program with no knowledge of the coaches or the Rams program and just one year of eligibility to learn everything and play – and was the best player on the defensive front.

Injuries didn’t help. And because of all of that, CSU defensive coaches had to junk it up with the front seven in order to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks or hold gaps to slow down running backs.

FORT COLLINS – Colorado State released its first depth chart today, and there were a few surprises contained within it. And they started with an area that had been taken for granted — the defensive alignment.

Early on it was made known CSU’s defense was switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 this season. Only, on the depth chart these are the front seven positions on defense: LDE, DT, DT, RDE, SLB, MLB, WLB.

Shaquil Barrett — a preseason all-conference selection at linebacker — is listed as a right defensive end, along with Broderick Sargent and Steven Michel.

CSU coach Jim McElwain has already said that Barrett, the team’s leading tackler from a year ago, would play both standing up and with his hand in the ground. The suggestion, however, was that he’d be a linebacker with the ability to put his hand in the ground, thus the team plays a 3-4.

FORT COLLINS – For the second straight year, a thin – in numbers and weight – Colorado State defensive line figures to cause coaches restless nights and test their ability to be creative in putting together packages that can make it effective.

Gone is graduate Nuku Latu from the interior, end C.J. James to transfer, and end Nordly Capi to dismissal from the university. James and Capi were the team’s top defensive ends a year ago – Capi led the team with 10 sacks. So, yes, this is a sizeable job for co-defensive coordinators Marty English and Al Simmons put the pieces of this puzzle together in a way that works.

Starters: In CSU’s new 3-4 alignment, which features a lot of stunting and twisting up front, sophomore John Froland and senior Zach Tiedgen are likely to get the first crack at starting. Froland was an interior lineman last season in the Rams’ 4-3 scheme and is the best of the down linemen. In 11 starts last season he recorded 34 tackles, a forced fumble and a half-sack. In the middle, expect to see junior Curtis Wilson, a player that notched a couple of sacks among his 12 tackles last season.

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.